PRODUCE THE LOCAL, CONSUME THE GLOBAL : THE LOCALISATION OF MUSIC TELEVISION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT Music television (MTV) is a cultural product which brings together the popular media cultures of music, film and television. MTV can also be examined as an enterprise with global ambitions with its global reach of a quarter of a million people through its various regional networks. The aims of the thesis are: firstly, to map out the localisation efforts of MTV in Asia (production of product) secondly to uncover the meanings embedded in the MTV cultural product (production of meaning); thirdly to explore the audience's reception and incorporation of MTV in their lives; and finally to re-consider the dynamic processes within the global-local nexus. I have adopted as my conceptual framework Johnson' s (1986) circuit of culture. Within this circuit, the MTV product (its programming) is conceived and produced in a specific context, which becomes a cultural product that is exposed to consumers in the form of texts. Owing to different contexts that the different audiences are located in, the texts may be interpreted in different ways from what the producers intend. Upon reading the text, consumers consciously or subconsciously incorporate the various interpretations into their everyday lives and construction of identity. The circuit is completed when feedback is channelled back to the producers. The contexts of MTV' s circuit of culture are embedded within the global-local nexus of economic and cultural globalisation. The study highlights two main sets of findings. First, the localisation of the MTV' s operations and product are critical towards its success in the region. However, the creation of local content products is not explicitly a celebration of the local but one which is borne of economic imperatives. Second, the localisation of MTV has meant that there is no straightforward cultural imperialism. Instead, there is a degree of cultural synchronisation. It is believed that MTV has and will continue to play a part in promoting consumerism amongst the international youth.